Yes. Yes. Yes.

The entire church-in-a-brewery concept comes from my conviction that Jesus would teach, worship and train in a brewery if He were here “in the flesh.” Jesus’ actions caused many of the religious elite to slander Him. They said He was a drunk, a glutton and a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34). Here is what we can learn from those three accusations:

1) Jesus was not a glutton. He ate freely and enjoyed food to the glory of the Father, Son and Spirit. The religious elite had a problem with how freely He ate and with whom He ate (see #3). He did not abuse the gift of food.

2) Jesus was not a drunk. However, He did model what it meant to righteously consume alcohol. According to John 2:6-10 He gave the gift of alcohol to a party of people that had already finished the supply. He did this too to the glory of His Father, Himself and Holy Spirit. He did not abuse the gift of drink.

3) Jesus WAS a friend of sinners. Some say, “I don’t smoke, drink or chew, or hang around those who do.” Jesus said in Matthew 11:19, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ’Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” He modeled righteousness (the design of God) AMONG the unrighteous. He lived with those in the world, yet He did not sin.

So you say you are a sinner? Join the club. Jesus died for our sins. His death on the cross was a penal substitution for us. That means that He took the wrath and separation from God the Father for our sins, though He was sinless. In exchange, He enables us to turn away from our sins and turn to Christ. He places His perfection (righteousness) upon us, though we are sinful. We are changed from spiritually dead to alive. We go from creations to children of God. We are no longer enemies of Christ, but become His friends. Amazing concept. This is what we call grace.

Jesus is the best friend you’ve ever had, even if you’ve never acknowledged Him before. I would love to talk further about Christ and the freedom He can bring to your life.

Yes, it is about Christ. It is ALL about Christ. We are Christ-followers. Follow Him with us!

–
David Thew
Sojourn Founding Pastor

Further Biblical Study
(read the Romans 5 passage in both of the translations)

Romans 5 NASB
8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned– 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5 NLT
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. 14 Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. 15 But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

__________________________
David Thew
Sojourn Pastor
Thewblog